LOS ANGELES — Breaking through against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine is never easy, especially when Zack Greinke is on the hill.

That's why the Rockies' oh-so-close moments were so maddening in Tuesday night's 4-2 loss to the Dodgers. The Rockies were just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-3 in the ninth inning.

"We just didn't get the big hit," manager Walt Weiss said. "I thought we had a nice approach offensively, we just didn't get the big hit to have the big inning."

The Rockies came into Los Angeles riding a season-best five-game winning streak, capped off by their rare three-game sweep over the San Francisco Giants. Each of those three victories featured electrifying rallies. But a second consecutive loss to the Dodgers negated much of that momentum.

"It's frustrating, " Troy Tulowitzki said. "But at the same time, we battled tonight. Those guys over there are good. (Brandon) League got out of some jams, (Brian) Wilson got out of some jams, and so did Greinke."

In the seventh inning, for example, the Rockies trimmed a one-time 3-0 deficit to 3-2 against reliever J.P. Howell. Josh Rutledge hit a leadoff, pinch-hit double, and scored on an infield double by Corey Dickerson. Dickerson's scalding hopper bounced off shortstop Hanley Ramirez's bare hand, and Ramirez left the game with a bruised right ring finger.

But Tulowitzki grounded out against League, as did Wilin Rosario — this time with the bases full.

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Colorado had one final chance in the ninth. Dickerson led off with a single to center off Dodgers flame-throwing closer Kenley Jansen, followed by a single from Tulowitzki. But Jansen, his fastball reaching 98 mph, got Morneau to pop out to short then struck out Kyle Parker and Wilin Rosario to end the game.

The Dodgers stretched their lead to 4-2 in the seventh with a solo homer to left by Carlos Triunfel off reliever Tommy Kahnle. It was Triunfel's first big-league homer.

For the second consecutive game, a Dodgers starting pitcher dominated Rockies hitters. And for the second game in a row, a Rockies starter simply wasn't good enough to keep pace.

Colorado right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, coming off his first victory of the season, was solid enough for his six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. But two of those hits were home runs and that was the difference between Chacin and Greinke, who allowed just one run on six hits in six innings.

The Rockies' margin for error usually is razor-thin here, and that's what made Chacin's misplaced 90 mph sinker in the third inning so costly. Ramirez stroked it into the right-field bleachers for a two-run homer. Then Matt Kemp led off the fourth with a solo homer off a bad changeup by Chacin, extending the Dodgers' lead to 3-0.

"I was throwing strikes and locating my pitches, except that ball to (Ramirez)," Chacin said. "I was trying to throw a sinker in and the ball just stayed in the middle."

The home runs were the first Chacin has ever given up at Dodger Stadium in eight starts.

Said Weiss: "I think for the most part, this was similar to his last outing. He grinded through it, and that's what he does. He's a great competitor. So I think that's a nice outing by Jhoulys. He certainly gave us a chance to win."

The Rockies had three chances to deck Greinke, who needed 117 pitches to get through six innings, but they were unable to land a big punch. Greinke improved to 9-3, tying him with Cincinnati's Alfredo Simon and St. Louis Adam Wainwright for the National League wins lead. Greinke trimmed his ERA to 2.53.

Colorado loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth on a single by Tulowitzki, a walk by Justin Morneau and a bloop single to left-center by Drew Stubbs. Rosario drove in Tulowitzki on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Yasiel Puig, who made a flashy but ill-advised throw to try to nail Morneau advancing to third. Puig's throw allowed Stubbs to move into scoring position at second. But Greinke struck out Ryan Wheeler and then won a nine-pitch battle with DJ LeMahieu by getting him to ground out back to the mound.

In the first, Dickerson and Tulowitzki hit back-to-back singles but were stranded when Morneau flew out to right and Stubbs struck out looking. In the fifth, back-to-back, two-out singles by Chacin and Charlie Blackmon provided an opportunity, but Greinke slammed the door by striking out Dickerson on a chest-high, 93 mph fastball.

"That's what the real good ones do," Weiss said. "When they get into some trouble, they bend but don't break. That was Greinke, certainly, tonight."

Colorado Rockies' Corey Dickerson tosses his helmet after striking out during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday, June 17, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Jae C. Hong, The Associated Press)